October 24, 2026
How to Use ClassMana Alongside Your School's PBIS System
Many schools run PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports). There are school-wide expectations on the
walls, a behavior matrix, and often a school-wide points platform like LiveSchool, PBIS Rewards, ePraise or Dean's List.
That's great for consistency across the building. But inside your own classroom, a points tally doesn't always keep
students excited for months. Especially older students, who quickly see through "you earned 1 point".
The good news: you don't have to choose. ClassMana works alongside your school's PBIS system. Your school keeps its
platform for school-wide acknowledgments, data and referrals. You use ClassMana in your classroom to turn those same
expectations into a game your students actually want to play.
Why PBIS and ClassMana fit together
PBIS is built on a few simple ideas:
- Clear, positively stated expectations, usually three to five (for example Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Safe)
- Teaching those expectations explicitly, in every setting
- Acknowledging students often when they meet them, with far more positive than corrective feedback (a ratio of at least four to one is commonly recommended)
- Consistent, calm responses to minor problem behavior
- Using data to see what's working and who needs more support
ClassMana was designed with the same philosophy. Experience only goes up. Warnings are temporary and students can always
redeem themselves. And the rewards that matter most aren't candy or prizes, but privileges and an avatar that grows with
them.
Map your PBIS system to ClassMana
Here's how the parts of a typical PBIS system translate to ClassMana:
| PBIS | ClassMana |
|---|---|
| School-wide expectations | Rewards named after your expectations |
| Acknowledgment points/tickets | Experience, which levels up the student's avatar |
| Privileges and non-tangibles | Powers, bought with mana (e.g. choose your seat, music while working) |
| School store | Class shop, where students spend gold |
| Minor behavior corrections | Warnings that lower health, with redemption through positive actions |
| Class-wide goals | Teams, Monster Battles and the Silence Challenge |
| Behavior data | Activity Log reports per student and per period |
| Consistency across a team | Shared configuration and co-teachers |
1. Turn your expectations into rewards
When you create a class, ClassMana suggests rewards. Replace or rename them so they use your school's exact language.
Students then hear the same words in your classroom as in the hallway.
For example, with Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Safe:
- Respectful: Helped a classmate
- Respectful: Listened while others spoke
- Responsible: Homework completed
- Responsible: Ready to learn at the bell
- Safe: Cleaned up the workspace
- Safe: Calm transition
Every reward gives Experience. Students level up, unlock new gear for their animated 3D avatar and gain mana for
powers. That's a lot more motivating than a number going up.
2. Use powers as your non-tangible acknowledgments
PBIS teams often prefer privileges over prizes. In ClassMana, those privileges are powers. Students spend mana,
which they earn by leveling up, on perks you choose:
- Choose where to sit for a lesson
- Listen to music during independent work
- Extra time on an assignment
- Be the teacher's helper for the day
3. Use the class shop like a mini school store
If your school has a PBIS store, the class shop gives you the same idea at classroom scale. Students earn gold
(for example for academic milestones) and spend it on shop items you define. It's an easy way to tie effort and learning
to something students look forward to.
4. Keep corrections calm and temporary with health
PBIS asks for calm, consistent responses to minor behavior. ClassMana's warnings lower a student's health. That's a
clear signal without lecturing, and without taking away anything they've earned. You can give health back on a weekly
schedule, so a fresh start is built in, and teammates can use healing powers to help each other. If a student's health
reaches zero, they "fall" and redeem themselves with a positive action, which is exactly the kind of re-teaching moment
PBIS encourages.
A few tips that keep this in line with PBIS:
- Keep the ratio positive. Aim for at least four rewards for every warning.
- Use warnings only for behavior, never for wrong answers or bad grades.
- Major incidents still go through your school's referral process. ClassMana is for your classroom, not for discipline records.
5. Build community with class-wide goals
PBIS works best when students support each other. Teams let students earn rewards together and help teammates who
are struggling. The Silence Challenge turns quiet transitions into a shared goal. And a Monster Battle makes the
whole class work together to defeat a 3D monster during review.
6. Use your data for check-ins and meetings
ClassMana's Activity Log lets you filter by student and by period, and gives you an instant summary of every reward,
warning, power and purchase. It's handy for a student check-in, a parent meeting, or preparing for your PBIS team
meeting.
7. Stay consistent across your grade-level team
If several teachers on your team use ClassMana, you can share rewards, warnings, powers, shop items and mystery
events between classes. Set up your PBIS-aligned rewards once, and every linked class follows. Co-teachers and support
staff can be invited to help manage a class.
What ClassMana doesn't replace
To be clear about what ClassMana is and isn't:
- ClassMana does not sync points with your school's PBIS platform. Your school-wide points stay where they are.
- ClassMana is not a referral or discipline tracking system.
- ClassMana does not offer parent messaging.
Think of it this way: your school's PBIS system is the framework for the whole building. ClassMana is the game layer
that makes those expectations come alive in your own classroom.
Getting started
- Sign up for free and try the instant tools like the Silence Challenge and Monster Battle.
- Create a class and rename the suggested rewards to match your school's expectations.
- Pick a few powers that match the privileges your school already uses.
- Introduce it to your students in one lesson. Start simple and add more features later.
Want to roll it out to your whole PBIS team? Check out the school plan, or contact us at
info@classmana.com.
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